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MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls is a 4v4 tag-team fighter, but you do not start a match with all four teammates available. The first two selected characters are ready at the opening bell; a qualifying stage break or wall splat, or losing a round, can bring in the remaining two. You can call teammates to assist and switch control, too. The button directions below come from PlayStation’s July 20, 2026 Open Beta beginner guide, so check the in-game controls if a later update has changed them.

Why are only two characters available at the start?

Your team has four characters, but the match begins with only the first two you selected available. According to the official game FAQ, the other two join after a qualifying stage break or wall splat, or after you lose a round. That makes building your team a process that unfolds during the match, rather than giving you immediate access to every teammate.

A break can follow certain attacks or throws, select Skill attacks, or a successful light-route Link Attack near the edge of the screen. It may cause a stage transition or wall splat and assemble the rest of your team. Not every hit triggers a break; the attack and situation must qualify under the game’s rules.

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How do assists work?

An assist calls a teammate to act while you continue fighting with your current character. PlayStation’s July 20, 2026 Open Beta beginner guide documents X as the Assemble Assist button. The direction you hold determines which teammate is called: neutral or right calls teammate two, down calls teammate three, and left calls teammate four.

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The guide describes the called character performing an assist attack. The developers have also said the assist can respond differently depending on the situation. In a 2025 developer interview, Game Director and Lead Battle Designer Kazuto Sekine explained: “When you press the Assemble button, depending on the situation and what’s going on in the match, the Assist will come out and perform a different action that’s suitable for that particular moment.” That describes the design intent, not a published list of every condition or assist behavior.

Teammate calls can also help on defense

The same beta guide documents two defensive uses for teammate calls:

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  • Assemble Counter: Press square plus X while you are not guarding. It can counter an attack during the backstep.
  • Crossover: Press square plus X while guarding to call a teammate to interrupt the opponent’s attack.

These inputs are beta-era documentation; confirm the current control display in your game if they do not match what you see.

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How do you switch characters?

The July 2026 beginner guide documents switching with a directional input plus L2. After an assist, a brief on-screen “Switch?” prompt appears; press L2 while it is visible to switch to that character. The guide recommends learning assists first and adding assist-to-switch techniques as you get comfortable.

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Because these button mappings come from the Open Beta guide, treat them as a dated reference rather than a guarantee for every later version. If the prompt or controls differ, use the current in-game controls as the authority.

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How should you choose a four-character team?

The official game page encourages players to experiment with combinations to discover combos, synergies, and strategies. It describes distinct character abilities and playstyles, but does not prescribe fixed roles or identify a universally best lineup. There are no official synergy percentages or other quantified bonuses established in these materials.

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For a first team, choose the character you most want to play, then fill the other slots with characters whose abilities and styles you want to explore. You might favor variety, look for assists that suit your preferred approach, or simply choose characters you enjoy. Those are ways to experiment, not official composition rules.

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You do not need to master all four characters before you begin. Sekine has said: “Generally, a team VS fighting game requires the player to learn multiple characters, but for MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, you only need to master one character in order to play the game.” Start by learning your main character and the match’s assist and team-entry flow; expand your familiarity with teammates as you play.

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